This invention relates to a system and apparatus for processing printed data.
It is well known in order to conserve storage space to condense the bulk of a document, book or other printed media by photographically reproducing the printed matter on a reduced scale on for instance microfilm and enlarging the printed matter to a size readily recognisable to a reader, by advancing the microfilm past an optical reading head. Such a process has the advantage of condensing the information contained in for instance, a book, thereby reducing the size and bulk of the vehicle required to carry the printed matter.
An object of the present invention is to provide a system and apparatus for converting original data to a different form and reconverting the data to a form recognisable by a reader, with the apparatus being compact so as to be sufficiently portable to be carried in a person's pocket and comparatively inexpensive and of low power consumption.
A more specific object of one aspect of the invention is to convert the original data to a coded form and recording the same magnetically or photographically, and to reconvert the coded form of the data back to a form recognisable by a reader.
Another object of the invention is to convert the original data into a different form e.g. by reduction and to reconvert the reduced form to a form recognisable by a reader.
Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a data processing unit including means for converting original data to a different form e.g. a reduced and/or coded form, and recording the same on photographic or magnetic record media, means for scanning the data recorded on said media, to produce electrical signals indicative thereof and means responsive to the said signals for reproducing the original data on a static visual reading device in a legible form recognisable by a reader.
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a data processing unit including data reading means for scanning coded data recorded on photographic or magnetic record media as it advances past a reading head, decoding means responsive to address data signals from said reading means to produce output signals indicative of the coded data in decoded form and a static visual display device including means responsive to signals from the decoding means for producing the original data in legible form recognisable to a reader.
In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a system and apparatus for processing printed data including means for recording the data in coded form on photographic or magnetic media, means for scanning the coded data to produce signals indicative thereof, means responsive to said signals for decoding the coded data and viewing means responsive to signals from the decoding means for converting signals from the decoding means into a legible form recognisable to a viewer.
In a further embodiment of the invention the original data is photographically reduced on to a microrecord e.g. a microfische or microfilm and reproduced on a visual display device in a legible form recognisable to a reader, without requiring the intermediate stages of coding of the original data and subsequent decoding of the coded data, thereby enabling existing libraries of photographically reduced information to be used.
The visual display device for the reproduction of data in legible form may utilise electrophoretic, electrochromic or electrochromatic material or plasma panels, or thermionics or electroluminescent materials capable of converting coded data into a legible form recognisable by a reader.
In an embodiment of the invention where a microrecord of the original data is produced, a data reading unit including, for example, a photocell reading head, is arranged to scan a small portion, e.g. a line of a larger portion e.g. a page of the original data photographically reduced and recorded on the microrecord e.g. a microfische. The scanning is performed by a scanning generator operating in synchronism with the designated columns of a matrix of a visual display device. To effect scanning of the selected portion of the microfische, the latter is moved on a rotating mirror or prism. This vertical scan of the microfische is synchronised with the designated rows of the matrix of the display device via, for example, a position encoder on the shaft of the rotating mirror, or with the movement of the Y axis of the microfische. In a further embodiment of the invention applicable to microrecords, the reading head is replaced by a raster scan camera.
In an embodiment of the invention where the original data is coded and subsequently decoded, there is provided a reading head past which photographic film is advanced. The film from a supply spool is wound on a take-up spool provided with a manual winder and the reading head scans the coded data on the film to produce electrical signals indicative of the coded data and which are supplied to a decoding unit. The decoder converts the incoming signals into signals having a matrix form of points corresponding to the crossover coordinates of the rows and columns of a matrix. These crossover points may be defined by small dot matrices of a predetermined number of columns and rows. Signals from the X and Y coordinates of the matrix are supplied to discrete electrophoretic devices of a display panel such that the original printed data is reproduced in legible, recognisable form.
The original data may be specially typed data e.g. as the output from a computer programmed to print out data in any required code.